Sleigh-propeller.



W. MOMEANS.

SLBIGH PROPELLER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.3,191'2 Patented Sept. 2, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

wi lmeooeo W. MOMEANS- SLEIGH PROPBLLBR.

APPLIUATION FILED FEB. 3, 1912.

1,071,772. Patented Sept. 2,1913.

2 SHEETB-SHEBT 2.

OFFICE.

WILLIAM MCMEANS, OF WEST LIBERTY, IOWA.

SLEIGH-IPROPELLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 3, 1912. Serial No. 675,307.

Patented Sept. 2, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it'known that I, WILLIAM McMEANs,

a citizen of the United States, residing at l/Vest Liberty, in the county of Muscatine and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sleigh- Propellers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it apper tains to make and use the same.

My invention relates particularly to sleigh propellers but also may be utilized for propelling other vehicles.

The object of the invention is to provide a propeller of simple construction which is also inexpensive to manufacture and is effective and durable in operation.

Other objects will become apparent from the following description.

The invention consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specified in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of sleigh or sled to which my propeller may be advantageously attached, the positions of the two endless guides being indicated in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a broken central, vertical,

longitudinal, sectional view of the same on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a plan view with the superstructure above-the propeller broken away. Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section on the line a2a2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detailed perspective view of one of the fork-carrying rods with its oppositely extending arms at either end. Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the positions of said arms and forks when the rod is at the front end, top, rear end, and bottom of the propeller, and Fig. 7 is a detailed view of one of the guides and roller bearings.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1. desi ates the body of the sleigh or sled comprising the superstructure 2 and rear and front sleds 3 and 3, respectively. The propeller is mounted on the rear sled 3 and consists of a pair of endless sprocket chains 4 mounted around sprocket wheels 5 carried by shafts 6 suitably journaled in the runners 3. At intervals on the chains, there are secured rods 7 adapted to turn in eyecastings 8 secured to said chains. The ends of said rods project beyond the eye-castings gaging continuous guides or tracks 11 and 12, respectively. Said roller bearings have grooved peripheries adapted to fit correspondingly shaped opposing rails 13 of the guides or tracks, whereby the rollers are retained between :said rails. Both of the guides or tracks are of similar form and shape as the sprocket chains and both have their upper and lower horizontal portions arranged in horizontal alinement with the corresponding portions of said chains. The curved end portions of each guide or track, however, are arranged out of horizontal alineinent with the corresponding portions of the sprocket chains, the difference in position thereof being equal to the length of the cranks or arms 9. The front and rear portions of the track or guide 11 are, therefore, arranged rearward of the corresponding portions oi the sprocket chains a distance equal to the length of the cranks or arms 9 whereas the same portions of the guide or track 12 are arranged forward of the corresponding parts of said chains a similar distance. The result of this construction is that the cranks or arms 9 are always held in horizontal positions during the travel of their rods 7 around the endless chains. Each of said rods'is provided with a plurality of prongs or tines projecting downwardly at right angles to the plane of the arms 9 and extending beyond the treads of the runners when the rods are on the lower level of the chains. The arrangement of the guides or tracks and cranks or arms, just described, holds the prongs or tines rigid as they pass along this lower level whereby the projecting portions thereof will engage the surface of the snow or ice on which the sleigh is'resting and propel the latter in a direction opposite that in which said prongs or tines travel along said lower level of the chains. The tracks also maintain the same relative osition of the prongs or tines with the cran rs or arms of their rods throughout thefloircuit of the chains, as is best illustrated in Fig. 6.

The propeller, as a whole, including the guides or tracks, is mounted on a frame 13 which is adjustable vertically on the rear sled by means of bell crank and hand levers 14 and15 respectively. A The frame 13 is provertical.

vided with ribs 16 engaging corresponding grooves 17 in the sled. runners whereby the movement of said frame is limited to the tions of surfaces over which the sleigh'is required to travel. For instance, the pro:; .peller prongs should project farther below the runner when the vehicle is running over light or soft snow than when traveling over ice or hard packed snow. 18

The rear axle 6 of the propeller extends through a vertically elongated slot 18 in one a of the runners of the rear sled and carries a beveled pinion 19 meshing with a driving shaft 20 geared at its other end to the shaft"- 21 of the motor 22 for actuating the propeller. a It will be understood, however, that any other driving means. may be substituted for that shown without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The frontlsled 3 is preferably pivoted to the superstructure or body 2 of the vehicle,

' as indicated at 23 in Fig. 1, and suitable means is provided for turning said sled for steering the sleigh. The steering mechanism, as here shown, comprises ahand Wheel and shaft24 and 25, res ectively, similar to those used on some types of. automobiles.

- Any other form of steering gear may, however, be employed without sacrificing the advanta es .of my invention which resides essential y in the propelling mechanism.

I claim: v

1. In a propellerof the character de- 4 scribed, the combination, with a pair of endless belts, of road-engaging members pivotally suspended from said belts, wheels on which said belts are mounted, a plurality of continuous guides, and oppositely extendmg arms on each of said pivoted road-engaging members, each of said arms being arranged to travel on the respective guides for maintaining the road-engaging members continuously in a direct-ion to contact with the road surface.

2. 'In a propeller of the character described, the combination, with endless belts, of road-engaging members pivotally suspended from said;belts, wheels on which sald belts are mounted, continuous guides conforming to said belts, and oppositely extending arms on each of said pivoted road-' engaging, members, said arms being arranged to travel on the-respective guides,

-- for the purpose specified, whereby a of. the road-engaging members may It will be understood, of course,}, thatst he vertical adjustment of the propeller is to accommodate variouskinds and condione of said guides being arranged in front of the belts and the other rearward thereof a' distance equal to the length of said arms I H3.In a propeller of the character described, the combination with endless belts,

of a, series of road-engaging members belts, each 0 said road-engaging members mounte'dfcr ivotal movement betweensaid being provided'with a series of prongs,con

tinuous guides on opposite sides of said by said belts, wheels over which said belts belts, and oppositely extending arms on botl1"- are passed, continuous guides comprising opposingrails, oppositely extending arms on said road-engaging I members, v and grooved roller bearings on the ends of said armsarranged to travel upon'the respective guides and confined thereto by their grooves enga ing' said rails. 5. n a propeller of the character described, the combination with a pair of end-,

less belts, of a train of road-engaging members pivotally carried by said belts, each of I said members having a plurality of prongs -integral therewith, and means on. each of said road-engaging members for maintain ing said prongs in a depending vertical po- Y sition.

6. In a propeller of the character described, the combination with a frame, a

plurality of endless belts carried thereby,"

of a train of road-engaging members p1votally mounted between'said endless belts, a

plurality of prongs carried by each of said road-engaging members, means on each road-engaging member for -maintaining said prongs at all times in a dependin vertical position, and means whereby sai belts and road-engaging members may be adjusted vertically with reference to the frame.

In testimony whereofil fl y ture, in presence of'two witnesses.-

Witnesses:

G, M,N1c HoLs, 'E,;-O.Nicnors. v

" WILLIAM MQM ANSN WithYWW- ji fire each, amass-mm amass r was. 

